Protective effect of estrogen to the injury of PC12 cell induced by MPP

Objective To explore that if the estrogen could have protective effects on cell Parkinsonism models induced by MPP+. Methods Using PC12 cell as the model of dopaminergic neurons,MPP+ or E was added into the culture of PC12 cells,and using MTT to assay the cell viability and metabolism state; using immunocytochemistry method of avidinbiotin peroxidase complex (ABC) to assay the content of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH); using flow cytometry FACS to assay the apoptosis ratio; and thus to compare the differences between each groups. Results The cell viability was declining with the concentration of MPP+ increasing,and at the concentration of 250 μmol/L it was met to the criterion of Parkinsonism models; as the concentration of estrogen increasing,the cell viability is increasing. There was no significant difference at a concentration over 10 nmol/L. As compared with control group (0.49±0.11),MPP+ group (0.30±0.07) and E+MPP+ group (0.56±0.16),the cell viability (represented by A 570) was significantly higher in E group (0.61±0.17) (P0.05); TH positive cells phos-density was higher in E group (0.46±0.06) than in control (0.22±0.07),MPP+ group (0.10±0.03) and E+MPP+ group (0.24±0.04) (P0.05); and the apoptosis ratio was lower in E group (11.5%) than in control (31.3%),MPP+ group (63.5%) and E+MPP+ group (33.6%,P0.05); as compared with MPP+ group,the cell viability was significantly higher; TH content was higher,and the apoptosis ratio was lower in E+MPP+ group (P0.05). Conclusion Estrogen might have direct nutrition effects to PC12 cells,and protect them from injury induced by MPP+. Moreover,it might also have anti-apoptosis effect to some extent.